


Calm before the Storm

by lildarkone



Category: Callisto 6 (Web Series)
Genre: F/F, Fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-02-10 06:28:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18654811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lildarkone/pseuds/lildarkone
Summary: The night before the mission and Cass is anxious, everyone feeling much the same. She takes a walk through the lab to try and settle herself, ending up at Luma's door.





	Calm before the Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place just before the mission to the moon. Just some fluff to play off of Amy mentions Cass goes to spend the last night with Luma.
> 
> Unbetaed and I'll probably come back to tighten a few things up later, but I'm happy enough for now.  
> Enjoy!

The hour was late, but no one was resting. It wasn’t for a lack of exhaustion, the previous week of constant working and preparing had been draining for everyone both physically and mentally. But all of them knew tomorrow would change everyone and the constant worry that kept circulating among their shared connection was almost palpable, though there were bursts of forced calm, most likely from Oya and Anton.

By the large windows of the main room Cass leaned against the cool glass, alternating between watching the churning waters and darting wildlife to the group huddled around one of the tables. Anton and moonlight were playing chess with Sal and Hopps close by cheering them on. Sal was sitting just to Moonlight’s right, an intense look of concentration on his face as he tried to follow what was going on, aided occasionally by Moonlight who was signing the rules as she went. This was punctuated by the gentle ribbing on the other side of the board between the two childhood friends. It was still a little surreal to think that just a few months ago none of them knew one another, Sal was stuck down here alone and Moonlight was still Oniko, the deadliest weapon Pyramid Star had.

But now, as calm as could be with a gentle smile on her face, Moonlight moved her knight and signed ‘Check’, prompting Anton to push his king over with a sigh. Moonlight’s smile grew and she turned to explain what happened to Sal as Hopps chuckled and turned to Cass. “You want next? Moonlight’s already beat me.”

Cass shook her head, “Nah I’m better at checkers. I’m gonna go check on Oya, you guys have fun.” She heard Anton and Hopps bid her goodnight and both Moonlight and Sal waved before the board is set back up and Moonlight and Anton go again.

The door to the labs slide open and just across the way Lacy is hunched over their desktop, their goggles snug tight as the ywelded adn fiddled with whatever it was they were working on. Nearby Sweet Baby sat, it’s ocular sensor glowing a soft green.

Right next to the door Oya was hunched over in a mirrored position, switching her attention between her portable rig and her computer. Cass came close to the table, but waited, knowing Oya didn’t always like to be interupted. However it didn’t take long and Oya looked up, smiling brightly.

“Hey Cass.”

“Hey O.”

“What are you up to?”

“Just kinda walking around. Couldn’t really sleep,” Cass answered, plucking at the hem of her worn long sleeved shirt and mesh shorts. The only thing she had slipped on were her boots as the diamond plating and cement flooring always seemed to be freezing, no matter how warm the rest of the place was.

“Me either. Figured i’d mess with some of my VRs.”

“Which one you workin’ on?”

Oya angled the screen towards her and it showed a familiar beach with palm trees and crystal waters.

“Isn’t that the one you were gonna show at the expo?”

“Yeah. Weird huh? Used to be my biggest worries were trying to show this to one of the Corp big wigs and duck my mom’s pestering about going to law school for the hundredth time.”

“Now you’re out here savin’ the day.”

“We’re saving the day.”

Cass shrugged wordlessly and Oya shook her head. She reached out and pulled Cass closer. “Regardless of who is doing what I’m glad you’re with me with all of this. It’s nice to have your best friend along when shit starts getting hard.”

“Especially since I’m pretty much a human battering ram.”

“It does help.” A shared laugh brightened the air before quieting again, both leaning against one another to soak in the comfort of a connection that wasn’t born from some syrum, but built on years of friendship that held shared laughter and tears.

“I’m glad you’re here too, O. I don’t think I would have been able to do this without you, much less keep it a secret for very long.” Oya smiled, knowing that second part to be true. When she got excited about something Cass didn’t hold back. It was one of things she loved most about Cass, her love of life and passion for everything she did.

“True. You do kinda suck at keeping secrets,” Oya chuckled. She noticed Cass fidgeting. “Do you want to help me out? Or maybe you can go workout. That might help you get some sleep.”

Cass nodded, already feeling the brief respite from speaking with her best friend falling away and the restlessness return. “Yeah. You do the same okay? Try and rest. Need you at your best tomorrow,” She said and started to turn away, but paused and turned back. “Love you, O.” She said and dropped a kiss on Oya’s forehead.

Oya smiled, warmed by the gesture. “Love you too Cass. Night.”

And again Cass was off, wanting to do...something, but she just didn’t know what.

A single thought popped into her head and she was moving out of the labs and down the hall to the rooms located there. One of them was cracked open, soft music coming from inside. Her hand reached up to knock, hesitating a moment as doubt seeped in. What if Luma was sleeping or wanted to be left alone? Would she be welcome?

“Screw it,” She murmured and knocked, pointedly ignoring the small dent that was left behind.

Instead of the sleepy Luma she as expecting, the door swung open to show a frazzled Luma who instantly brightened when she spotted her visitor. “Thank you, I can’t sleep,” She said as she reached out to tangle her fingers in Cass’s shirt and pulled her inside. “I can’t believe I’m captain. This is ridiculous.” The door slammed shut behind them with a clang as Luma went back to pacing the room. “Me. Me! I can’t be captain. I have zero experience with this. The only things I’ve ever been in charge of are kids and chickens! I’m not,” The words continued, as rapid fire and frantic as the hands slicing through the air to punctuate her words.

Cass watched in astonishment and growing concern. While Luma could never be called reserved, this was different. This was borderline panic.

“Hey. Hey hey hey,” She walked forward and stepped into Luma’s path, reaching out to gently catch her wrists. Luma’s eyes widened as if she had forgotten Cass was there. Cass used one hand to cradle both of Luma’s hands against her chest, while her other hand cupped Luma’s cheek, forcing the woman to focus on her. “Breath. You need to breath Luma, come on. Focus on me.”

The sudden appearance of Cass in her line of vision mixed with the press of a warm palm on her cheek shocked her out of the spiral she had been in. Usually she didn’t let fear take hold, opting more for breaking a problem down and facing things head on, but this time the niggling of doubt had stuck in her mind like a splinter and had only dug deeper the more she tried to get it out.

Breath.

A simple request, but it still took her a second to comply. Her eyes slipped closed as she breathed, first in through her nose then out through her mouth, counting the breaths as she went. The anxiety subsided, not disappeared exactly, but was pressed down behind the soft murmer of Cass’s voice and gentle sweep of her thumb along Luma’s cheek.

There were a few beats of silence before Luma spoke again, her voice quiet and tired. “Sorry. I usually don’t freak out that badly.”

“No reason to be sorry. It’s a lot.” And it was. All of it. Getting powers, fighting the corps, who, or more accurately what, actually ran Corporate LA…

Stepping closer Cass rested her hands on Luma’s hips, thumbs just brushing under the hem of her shirt. “I think all of us are kinda in a steady panic mode right now. You shoulda come out and joined the rest of us though.”

“I woke up and started pacing. My thoughts just kinda started spiraling before I knew it.”

“I get that. Come on.” Cass pulled back and moved them both over to the bed where they sat; Cass at an angle with one foot on the ground and the other stretched along the bed so Luma could sit between them. Cass leaned back a bit, one hand braced behind her while the other rubbed the small of Luma’s back, willing the tense muscles beneath her fingers to loosen. “Now listen. You were made captain because we know you can do this. And the whole kids and chickens thing? I think points can be made that that’s good practice for us.”

The statement pulled a startled laugh from Luma. She looked at Cass, seeing the complete seriousness in her eyes and the crooked smile on her lips. “Good point,” She chuckled, pressing closer to Cass, her nose brushing the underside of Cass’s jaw. For the first time since she woke up a little over an hour ago she felt the churning in her stomach settle. It hadn’t been the first panic attack she had ever had, but this had been the worst. She hadn’t been able to stop the what ifs, because it had been solidified by the fact that they had failed in the past. Maybe not them specifically, but these events had played out before and had resulted in everyone she loved dying. She wondered if the other Luma had had to watch the others die, Lacy, Cass…

Her arms tightened where they rested around Cass’s waist unconsciously as she struggled to not go down that path again.

“Hey, whatever you’re thinking stop. Stop babe.” Cass pressed her lips to Luma’s forehead. The body under her hands had gone from relaxed to tense too quickly.

“We’ve already failed before. I can’t watch you guys die. I can’t,” Luma whispered, her words anguished and quiet.

Taking one of Luma’s hands, Cass pressed it to her chest and the hallow of her own throat, just hard enough that Luma could feel Cass’s heart beating beneath her fingers. “No one is dyin’ this time, except Fletcher and his other goons. But we’re here right now. Lacy is in the other room elbow deep in a project. Oya is with them. Hopps, Anton, Moonlight, and Sal are in the main area playing chess. We’re here, Luma. I’m here. You are not going back this time. We’re gonna win.”

She wanted to believe the words, to let the unwavering conviction in Cass’s voice infuse her. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because I have to be,” Cass replied. She took a breath, sorting through her thoughts. “We gotta good plan, we’re strong, we got Oya,” That in an of itself was a very strong point. Her best friend was vital to this plan. “We’re gonna win.”

Even if the words themselves were sparse, the conviction behind them was hard to ignore and Luma found it settling into her mind. “Just like that huh?”

“Just like that. Besides, I’d really like to take you out, ya know, on a date. Can’t really do that if Fletcher wins, right?”

Luma’s head dipped forward and she let out a soft chuckle. “Right.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips to Cass’s, feeling the familiar crooked grin against her own and her heart lighten in response.

This was definitely one of the more pleasant surprises to come out of all of them meeting. Tiny though in size, Cass’s heart was one of her most defining aspects of the powerhouse. And Luma had found herself first charmed, then smitten with the sometimes awkward, constantly impulsive woman. Her hands spread over the thin cotton shirt, over the strong muscles and soft skin, and she broke the kiss to burrow her face into Cass’s neck. This close she could hear the quickened breath and she could soak in the strength and warmth that always seemed to radiate from Cass. Arms came around her back and for the first time since she woke up she felt the anxiety and panic ebb and her body relax.

A yawn escaped her lips along with a squeak of surprise when she realized her body was now growing heavy with exhaustion.

“Hold on.” Cass toed off her unlaced boots then scooted back on the bed. It was tucked into a corner and she leaned back against one of the walls, propped up on a pillows and held her arms open again. Without any prompting Luma snuggled back into them, resting her head on her chest and sighing with contentment, her arms looping around Cass’s hips and the pillow behind her.

Cass could practically feel Luma melt into her and it made her chest fill with a strange, but welcome feeling. Strange as it was a sense of protectiveness and love that reminded her of when she hugged Oya or Charlie, but on another level. A much deeper level.

Her hands rubbed over Luma’s back, feeling the muscles slowly begin to relax and breath deepen.

“Ready to try and sleep again?”

“Will you stay the night?”

Cass didn’t even need to think about it. “Sure.”

“But we may need to move.”

Luma shook her head, nuzzling into Cass’s stomach. “See I don’t like that part of this.”

“Neither do I.” A beat. “We should probably move though, cuz as comfortable as these pillows are I’m gonna get a kink in my neck. Come on.” Reluctantly they broke apart and started to get ready for bed.

Cass stretched out with her back partially pressed against the wall, watching as Luma turned off the overhead light, leaving only the soft glow of the fairy lights. She loved watching the goth move, there was always a grace in her movements that Cass could never imagine possessing.

“Hold on,” Luma said, sitting on the edge of the bed and closing her eyes, pressing her fingers to the hollow of her throat. She sent Lacy a series of messages, all to be left in queue so as not to disturb them, but ready for whenever they came up for air. _‘Try and get some rest, we need you at a hundred percent. Love you.’_

“Everything okay?” Cass asked after a beat.

“Yeah, just sending Lacy a few messages that they can read later. I don’t want to disturb them, but I just want to give them some encouragement.”

“Oya’s kinda the same way. She hates to be bothered, but I gotta make sure she eats and rests. She’s been known to go all night if she’s left to work.”

Luma laid out alongside Cass, pressing close. Hesitantly Cass placed her arm across Luma’s waist, but held it just off her body as if almost afraid to crush her. Luma looped her hands around the arm, feeling the tense muscles and tugged Cass closer. “You can hold me. You’re not gonna hurt me.”

“I’m…kinda afraid I would though, I mean I have to constantly check myself so I don’t, ya know, hurt someone by accident.”

Hearing the subtle undercurrent of fear tugged at Luma’s heart and she reached up to caress the side of Cass’s face, playing along the soft stubble along her scalp. “Let’s make a deal. If you trust me to be a good captain, I trust that you won’t hurt me.”

Cass breathing increased a notch at feeling nails scratch across her scalp. Mixed with the feel of the soft curves pressed so it close and it was an almost physical struggle to not tense up. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to Luma’s. “I’m just not real good at this.”

Luma turned her head, mouth opening to say something, but was caught in the soft gray flecks in Cass’s eyes that caught the lights on the wall. It felt fairytailish to get lost in someone’s gaze, but she couldn’t seem to help it. Her hand traced over the arch of her eyebrows and a pert nose.

An unsure grin crooked the corners of Cass’s eyes, but she allowed the exploration, enjoying the gentle touch. Such gentleness was foreign and she was finding herself soaking it in and desiring more. She turned her head and nuzzled into Luma’s palm.

“Perfect.” Luma breathed, taken by the soft gesture. She didn’t know what to call this, only feeling something similar once before, but she found she didn’t want this to stop. “You’re doing pretty perfect.”

The look in Luma’s eyes was both terrifying and exhilarating. She had never had someone look at her like that, not with that level of emotions that she wasn’t ready to put a name to, but pulled at something within her none the less. Deciding actions always suited her better then words she leaned forward, closing the minute distance between them. It was a simple press of lips, no more no less, but it was sweet and helped shift and solidify something within them both. Any lingering anxieties and fears faded to the background and they broke apart with smiles.

“Good night, Luma,” Cass whispered before closing her eyes. There was no more restlessness plaguing her right now, only a warm lassitude.

“Good night, babe,” Luma whispered, tucking her head under Cass’s chin and closing her eyes, content with the gentle weight of Cass's arm around her waist, encasing her and holding her close. Whatever would come tomorrow, would come. They were a family, prepared as they were going to be, and ready for anything.

Finally, she let sleep ease her away.


End file.
